Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote yesterday claimed he still harbours hopes of one day buying Arsenal.

The Nigerian has an estimated fortune of over £10 billion and is reported to have wanted to buy in to the Gunners when former director Nina Bracewell-Smith was selling her shares in 2010.

Arsenal’s current majority shareholder is US tycoon Stan Kroenke, who remains committed to the Premier League club for the long-term. Uzbek magnate Alisher Usmanov controls around 30 per cent and has also expressed no desire to sell any of his stock.

Nevertheless Dangote, whose business interests include sugar, flour and oil, remains keen to become part of the north London club sometime in the future.

He said: “I still hope, one day at the right price, that I will buy the team.

“I might buy it, not at a ridiculous price but a price that the owners won’t want to resist. I know my strategy.”

Dangote, though, added that no imminent bid was in the pipeline.

“We have $16bn dollars worth of investments in the next few years. Right now I want to take my own business to a certain level. Once I finish on that trajectory, then maybe,” he said.

Arsenal beat Hull 3-1 on Monday night to give themselves a good chance to finish second behind Premier League champions Chelsea and will face Aston Villa in the FA Cup final at Wembley on May 30.